Powder-divider.



C. T. WELKE.

POWDER DIVIDER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I6. 1916.

1,201,534. Patented OCI. 17,1916.

CHARLES THEODORE WELKE, OF HEIVIET, CALIFORNIA.

POWDER-DIVIDER.

Application filed February 16, 1916.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES T. WELKE, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Hemet, in the county of Riverside and State of California, have invented new and useful lImprovements in Powder-Dividers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus for dividing powder, especially powder put up for prescriptions by druggists and doctors.

It is an object of this invention to construct an apparatus for dividing powder which is placed in a longitudinal chamber or groove rectangular in cross section. The bottom of said chamber is vertically adjustable, so that any given quantity of powder may be made to completely fill the chamber level with its top. An adjustable combshaped divider is then inserted in said groove, the blades of the comb being equidistantly spaced apart and of a width so as to extend completely across said chamber. 'Ihe comb-shaped divider is successively moved by means of a ratchet and pawl mechanism longitudinally of said chamber, each movement ejecting a quantity of powder confined between a pair of adjacent blades. The chamber is open at one end and a suitable chute is provided upon which each successive quantity of powder falls. In cases where the quantity of powder to be divided is small, means are provided for utilizing only a section of the chamber. For this purpose, a removable stop or block is provided which is inserted in the powder chamber between which and the front end of said chamber, the powder to be divided is placed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a powder divider which is simple of construction, positive in operation, easily kept clean and not liable to get out oforder.

lVith the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, I have illustrated a convenient and practical embodiment of my invention and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my apparatus. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section on an enlarged scale of the same. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing the ratchet and pawl mechanism Specication of Letters Patent. Patented 06h. 17, 1916.,

Serial No. 78,645.

for moving the divider. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the division block used in the powder groove. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of the comb-shaped divider.

My improved powder divider has a pair of end supports 10, 10, on which a boxlike frame 11 is securely mounted. Said frame is made of wood, although it will be understood that any other suitable material may be substituted therefor. A longitudinal narrow chamber or groove 12 extends throughout the length o f said frame l1. A horizontal vertically movable partition Wall 13 in said chamber constitutes the bottom for the powder receptacle or channel 14. The chamber below said movable bottom 13 is entirely closed by a rear wall 16 which extends from the bottom of the frame 11 to the top of the powder chamber 14 and a front wall 17, the latter extending from the bottom of the frame 11 only to approximately one-half the height of the frame. 'Ihe upper end of said front wall 17 constitutes a stop limiting the downward movement of the movable bottom 13. The front end of the powder chamber 14 is normally open. W/ithin the closed chamber 15 below the movable bottom 13, a mechanism is provided fo'r vertically adjusting said bottom 13. Said mechanism comprises a horizontally mounted threaded shaft 19 whose ends are journaled in the front wall 17 and the rear wall 1G. Collars 19 on said shaft on opposite sides of the rear wall 16 prevent the longitudinal movement of said shaft. A thumb nut 20 is provided at the outer end of said shaft whereby the same may be rotated. A pair of nuts 2-1 rectangular in cross section are screw threaded on shaft 18 within the chamber 15, the bottom face of said nuts being flush with and engaging the bottom of the frame 11. Each nut 21 is provided on its lateral faces .22 with an oblique slot or channel 23, all of said channels running in the same direction. The movable bottom 13 is provided on its under side with two pairs of spaced vertical arms 24. The lower ends of each are provided with pins 25 in slidable engagement with the channels 23 in the nuts 21. When the thumb nut 20 is operated and rotation imparted to the shaft 18, the nuts 21 will be horizontally moved and will raise or lower the movable bottom through the depending arms 24 in accordance with the direction in which the shaft 18 is rotated.

On the front end of the apparatus an n-l n movement of the handle 42. pawl operating bars 38 is provided at its A for clined chute 26 is provided, the rear wall 27 of said chute being flat and parallel with the front wall 17 of the frame 11. The rear wall 27 of the chute 26 is provided with a pair of lateral extending flanges 28 slidably mounted in stationary guides 29 on the front of the frame 11. rlhe chute may be vertically moved so that its rear wall 27 will form an end wall of the normally open front end of the powder channel or chamber 14.

The powder dividing mechanism comprises a rectangular frame 30 provided with a longitudinal aperture 31, the length and width of said aperture corresponding` with the length and width of the powder chamber 14. Mounted in said aperture for vertical movement is a powder dividing member which consists of a top bar 32 from which a plurality of rectangular divider blades 33 depend. Said blades are securely mounted -to the lower face of the bar 32 and are equidistantly spaced apart. At the rear end of said bar, a vertical plate 34 is provided which extends from the top thereof and forms a powder push plate for the last or rear charge of powder in the powder chamber 14. The powder dividing member is arranged to be vertically adjustable in the apertures 31 in order to compensate for the varying depth of the powder chamber 14 after the movable bottom 13 thereof is vertically adjusted.

On either side of the longitudinal side walls of the frame 30 a ratchet bar 35 is provided which is securely fastened to said frame. The lower edges of said ratchet bars are provided with ratchet teeth 36 adapted to be engaged by spring controlled pawls 37 pivotally mounted on the forward endl of pawl operating bars 38 which are mounted slidable movement in longitudinal grooves 39 formed in the side walls of the frame 11. A pair of guide straps 41 fastened to the side wall of the frame 11 and extending on the outside of the groove 39 keep the operating bars 38 in place in said grooves. The two pawl operating bars 38 extend beyond the rear of the frame 11 where they are connected by means of a pawl bar operating member or handle 42. The handle 42 is provided on its inner face with a central socket 43 into which a horizontal rod 44 extends. rlhe rod 44 is securely mounted to the rear wall 16 of the frame and a helical spring45 encircling said rod 44 tends to move the handle 42 in its outer or inoperative position. When the handle 42 is pushed against the tension of the spring 45, the pawl operating bars 38 will be moved forwardly in the direction of the arrows shown in Fig. 1, and the pawls 37 engaging the teeth 36 of the bar 35 will move the latter forward a distance corresponding to the length of the horizontal One of said rear end with a stop member 46 adapted to engage the frame 11 and limit the longitudinal movement of the handle 42. The stop member is fastened to the bar 38 by means of bolts 4T passing through slots 48, thereby allowing' longitudinal adjustment of said stop member. ln order to prevent the powder dividing member from Amoving upwardly, the frame 11 is provided on either side with longitudinal guide grooves 49 i adapted to engage in sliding relation guide flanges 50 on the ratchet bars 35.

From the foregoing description, the operation of my powder divider will be easily understood. Assuming that it is desired to divide a quantity of powder into doses of a predetermined size, the vertically slidable chute 26 is moved upwardly so as to form the front wall of the powder chamber 14. The powder dividing frame having been removed and the powder chamber 14 being open at the top, the powder chamber is filled level with the top with powder. The quantity of powder discharged at each operation of the handle 42 will correspond to the quantity confined between two successive divider blades lf it is desired to increase or diminish the doses, the movable bottom 13 of the powder chamber will be vertically adjusted by means of the bottom operating mechanism actuated by the thumb nut 20. Assuming that the depth of the powder chamber is adjusted as required, the divider frame without the divider member 32 is now placed in position by sliding the same from the rear of the frame 11, so that the guide flanges 50 engage the guide grooves 49 of said frame. lVhen the divider frame is in position and the aperture 31 registers with the powder chamber 14 the divider member 32 is inserted from the top. The divider blades 33 will pass through the powder until they reach the bottom 13 of the powder chamber. In this position of the divider member, it is obvious that the powl' der chamber 1 4 and the powder contained therein is divided into a number of equal parts corresponding to the number of divider blades 33. The chute 2G is now moved downward into normal position shown in Fig. l, and the apparatus is now ready for distributing the doses of powder. The operator takes the apparatus, placing one hand under the bottom of the frame, and with the other hand operates the push handle 42.

The powder receiving receptacles or other suitable means, such as sheets of paper, are now each given a dose of powder corresponding to the quantity confined between each adjacent pair of divider blades, the

stop 4G being so adjusted that each operation of the push handle 42 will discharge one pocket or compartment of powder.

wWhen a prescription for a few doses only is compounded, l use a movable end wall lle member 5l consisting of va rectangular block 52 on which a U-shaped band 53 is slidably mounted whereby the height of said block may be adjusted. rlhe transverse member of said U-shaped band being on top of the block 52, the length of the movable end wall 5l corresponds to the distance between adjacent divider blades 33. Assuming that it is desired to divide a certain quantity of powder into nine equal parts, the movable wall l would be placed next to the rear wall 16 of the frame and moved into position, as shown in Fig. 2 so that nine divider blades will be in advance thereof. The top of the side walls of the powder chamber are provided with graduations corresponding to the divider blades, thus enabling the operator to slide the movable wall 5l in the desired position. The thumb nut 20 is now operated to, adjust the vertically movable bottom wall 13 and the powder is leveled in the front section of the powder chamber until it is level with the top wall thereof. The divider frame is next slid into place and the divider member is inserted from the top through the aperture 31 and will occupy the position shown in Fig. 2. The movable wall will be located between two divider blades as shown. The quantity of powder is now divided into nine equal parts and may be so distributed in suitable receiving receptacles by the operation of the push handle l2 as described above.

While I have shown the preferred form of powder divider as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes inthe construction, combination and arrangement of parts thereof may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A powder divider comprising a boxshaped frame having at the top a longitudinal powder chamber rectangular in cross section and open at the top and in front, a vertically adjustable bottom in said cham` ber, means for vertically adjusting said bottom, an inclined chute arranged adjacent and below the front end of said chamber, said chute being slidably mounted for vertical adjustment on said frame and adapted to form the front end wall of said chamber, a divider frame slidably mounted on said frame for horizontal movement, said divider frame being provided with an aperture at the top thereof of a size to register with the open top of said chamber, a divider bar slidably mounted for vertical movement in said aperture, a series of vertical divider blades equi-distantly spaced apart and rigidly secured to the under side of said bar, said blades extending transversely of said bar and having a width to t snugly across said chamber and to divide handle operatively connected to said ratchets` for intermittently discharging the contents of one of said compartments, a spring engaging said handle returning the same to normal inoperative position and an adjustable stop limiting the forward movement of said handle. j

2. A powder divider comprising a box shaped frame having a longitudinal powder chamber open at the top and in front, a vertically movable bottom in said chamber, means for vertically moving said bottom, a chute arranged adjacent and below' the front end of said chamber, said chute being slidably mounted for vertical adjustment on said frame and adapted to form the front end wall of said chamber, a divider frame mounted on said first frame for slidable horizontal movement, said divider frame being provided with an aperture of a size to register with the open top end of said chamber, a divider bar mounted for slidable vertical movement in said aperture, a series of' divider blades equidistantly spaced apart and depending from said bar, said blades eX- tending transversely of said bar and having a width to fit snugly across said chamber to divide the latter into equal vertical compartments and means for intermittently moving said divider frame successively forward, the length of each of the movements of said divider frame corresponding to the length of one of said compartments.

3. A powder divider comprising a frame having a longitudinal powder chamber open at the top and in front thereof, a vertically adjustable bottom in said chamber, means for adjusting said bottom, a removable gate for forming the front wall of said chamber, a divider frame mounted on said first frame for horizontal movement, said divider frame being provided with a vertical aperture of a size to register with the open top of said chamber, a vertically movable divider bar slidably mounted in said aperture, a series of divider blades equi-distantly spaced apart and depending from said bar, said blades being adapted to extend across said chamber and to divide the latter into equal vertical compartments and manually operated means for intermittently moving said divider frame in a direction toward the front end of said chamber, the length of each movement of said divider frame corresponding to the length of one of said compartments.

4. A powder divider comprising a frame' having a longitudinal powder chamber open at the top and in front, a removable gate forming a front end wall for said chamber,

a divider bar mounted for vertical move` ment, a series of divider blades equi-distantly spaced apart depending from said divider bar and adapted to divide said chamber into equal vertical compartments and means for intermittently moving said bar longitudinally to successively discharge the contents of said compartments.

5. A powder divider comprising a longitudinal powder chamber openat the top and in front, a removable front end Wall therefor, a series of. divider blades equidistantly spaced apart and rigidly connected together, said blades being mounted for vertical movement and adapted When inserted in said chamber to divide the latter into equal vertical compartments and means for intermittently moving said blades longitudinally of said chamber to successively discharge the contents 01"'. said compartments.

6. A powder divider comprising a longitudinal powder chamber open at the top and in front, a series of divider blades equidistantly spaced apart and rigidly connected together', and adapted When inserted in said chamber to divide the latter into equal vertical compartments and means for intermittently moving said blades longitudinally of said chamber to successively discharge the contents of said compartments.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES THEODORE WELKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

